Naarada elucidates on the greatest human being

Naradaa explains to Valmiki's question of the greatest human being on Earth:

1.       नियत आत्म: Niyata aatma: Who’s soul is dedicated

2.       महावीर्यो:  MahaaveeryO: Who is Valorous

3.       धृतिमान धृतिमान वाशी: DhrutimaanDhrutimaan vashi: Who has control over all the senses

4.       बुद्धिमान: Buddhimaan: Who is intelligent

5.       नीतिमान  वाग्मी: Neetimaanvaagmi: Who talks with Moral

6.       श्रीमान: ShrImaan: Who is married

7.    शत्रुनिबर्हणः   Shatrunibarhanaha: Who knows how to destroy his enemies

8.       विपुलाम्सो महाबाहुहु: VipulamsO Mahaabahuhu: Who has a great body structure

9.       कम्बुग्रीवो महाहनुहु: KambugreevO Mahaahanuhu: Who is handsome with the great chin

10.   महोरस्को महेष्वासो:  MahOraskO MaheshvaasO: Who is healthy

11.   गूढ़ाजत्रुर  अरिन्दमः  Goodha jatrur arindamaha: Who shows righteousness with the ambassadors

12.   आजानुबाहुहु: Ajaanabahuhu: Who is handsomely tall

13.   सुशिरः सुललाटह:     Sushiraha  SulalaaTaha : Who has a great forehead

14.   सुविक्रमः Suvikramaha: Who has specialist skills in dealing situations

15.   समः समाविभक्तान्गाह: Samaha Samavibhaktaangaha: Who treats everyone equal and stays in the heart of all his desciples

16.   स्निग्धवर्णह: Snigdhavarnaha : Whose color is wheatish

17.   प्रतापवान: Prataapavaan: Who is a great warrior

18.   पीनवक्षा: Peenavakshaa: Who has a lean waist

19.   विशालाक्षो: VishaalaakshO: Who has broad eyes

20.   लक्ष्मीवान: Lakshmivaan: Who is wealthy

21.   शुभलक्षणः  Shubhalakshanaha: Who is greatly attractive

22.   धर्मग्न्यः Dharmagnyaha: Who has the knowledge of being righteous

23.   सत्यसंधशच  Satyasandhashcha: Who follows and implements truth in his ways

24.   धर्मस्य परिरक्षिता:  Dharmasya parirakshitaa: Who is being protected by the righteousness

25.   वेदवेदान्गतत्वज्ञो: VedavedaangatatvagnO : Who has a great knowledge on Vedas and the vedaangas.

26.   धनुर्वेदे च निष्टित:    Dhanurvede cha nishTitaha: Who has a specialised knowledge in Archery

27.   सर्वशास्त्रार्थतत्वग्न्यो: SarvashaastraarthatatvagnyO: Who can translate any difficult ancient scripts (including Vedas)

28.   स्मृतिमान्प्रतिभानवान: Smrutimaanpratibhaanavaan: Who is great at remembrance and is brilliant

29.   सर्वलोकप्रियह:   Sarvalokapriyaha: Who is loved by the whole world

30.   साधुरदीनात्मा विचक्षणः Saadhuradeenaatma vichakshanaha: Who protects the sages and the poor

31.   सर्वदाभिगतः  सद्भी:  समुद्र  इव  सिन्धुभी:   Sarvadaabhigatah sadbhihi samudra iva sindhubhihi: Who can bring down the ocean to a drop if stood against

32.   आर्य सर्वसमश्च  इव:  Aarya sarvasamashcha iva: Protector of the living

33.   सद्येकप्रियदर्षनाह:  Sad yeka priyadarshanaha: Who can attract anyone with the first meet

34.   समुद्र  इव गम्भीर्ये  धैर्येण  हिमवानिव:  Samudra iva gaambheerye dhairyENa himavaaniva: If the ocean is silent on request, he has the strength of the greatest mountain.

35.   विष्णुना सदृशो वीर्ये  सोमवत्प्रियदर्षन: Vishnunaa sadrusho veerye somavatpriyadarshanaha: Who has emerged on the occasion of Vishnu’s soul being replicated

36.   कालाग्नि  सद्रुषाह:   Kaalaagni sadrushaha : Death doesn’t affect him

37.   क्रोध क्षमय  पृथवीसमः Krodha kshamaya pruthivisamaha: Who is equivalent to Earth in forgiving and Anger.

38.   धनदेन  समस्त्यागे  सत्ये  धर्म  इवापरह   dhanadEna samastyaage satye dharma ivaaparaha: Who can just leave huge wealth and anything for upholding truth and righteousness

39.   तमेवान्गुणसंपन्नं रामं: tamevaanguNasampannam raamam: He is Rama, who is filled with all the above traits

40.   सत्यपराक्रमम: satyaparaakramam: Who fights to uphold Truth.

We hear a lot about Rama being criticized on Sita's treatment. But first, please start reading Ramayana from maharshi Valmiki. This will enlighten as to who he is and why he had to do certain things that he did. Read it before even commenting on Rama. If one is commenting against Rama, they haven't studied him at all.

Ugrashrava Sauti speaks

आद्यम् पुरुषम् ईशानम् पुरुहूतम् पुरुष्टुतम् ।
ऋतमेकाक्षरम् ब्रह्म व्यक्ताव्यक्तम् सनातनम् ॥ 20
आसच्च सच्चैव च यद्विश्वम् सदसतह् परम् ।
परावराणाम् स्रष्टारम् पुराणम् परमव्ययम् ॥ 21
मन्गल्यम् मन्गलम् विष्णुम् वरेण्यमनघम् शुचिम् ।
नमस्क्रुत्य हृषीकेशम् चराचरगुरुम् हरिम् ॥ 22

Aadyam purusham ishaanam puruhootam puru shtutham |

Rutamekaksharam brahma vyaktaavyaktam sanaatanam ||

Asachcha sachchaiva cha yadvishwam sadasatah param |

paraavaraaNaam srashTaaram puraaNam paramavyayam ||

mangalyam mangalam vishNum vareNyamangham shuchim |

namaskrutya hrusheekesham charaacharagurum harim ||

The above shloka (recital) is at the beginning of the 'Bharata', where Ugrashrava Sauti meets Shaunaka maharshi (who had thousands of students then) and is asked as to where was he and what he was doing. Sauti mentions that he had been to the place where 'Sarpa Samskaara', the 'snake sacrifice' was happening at the place of King Janamejaya and Sage Vaishampaayana told the epic written and as directed by the great sage 'Krishna Dwaipayana' or 'Vyasa Maharshi'. When asked by the Shaunaka, Sauti starts reciting the 'Bharata' to all the sages in Shaunaka rishi's ashram. The above shloka is the one Sauti recites before commencing the 'Bharata'.

Shloka meaning:

The supreme of all human beings, who is respected by every living form and is there in every living form. He is the 'Brahma' and to be more specific the 'Ekaaksharam Brahma' as mentioned in the Rig Veda 9th mandala, and always appears and is surrounded since the ancient times. He is the creator of everything, whether it is big or small, pure/impure, as described in the Puranas as the first of all living. I bow to Lord Vishnu, who grants the boon of cleansing, who is known as Hrushikesha and Hari, the Guru for all the movable/immovable   ones.

Sauti then goes further to give credit to Vyasa Maharshi who has written this great epic and has directed his disciples to preach to all the beings.

महर्षेः पूजितस्येह सर्वलोके महात्मनह ।
प्रवक्ष्यामि मतम् कृत्स्नम् व्यासस्यामित तेजसः ॥२३॥

maharsheh pujitasyeha sarvaloke mahaatmanaha |

pravakshyaami matam krutsnam vyasasyaamita tejasaha ||

The Maharshi is worth of being prayed and respected as a great soul 

I'm going to recite the epic created by Vyaasa, whose aura is limitless. 

We talk about plagiarism and copyright and all that stuff and some say that today's world has become like that. However, I'm not sure how it was in the world over 5000 years ago, but the above shlokas definitely teach me the bonding that the Guru and his disciples had and the selfless devotion towards God and the knowledge in the universe. 

Who is Valmiki?

As we all know Valmiki Maharshi is the great author of the greatest epic in Hindu Dharma 'The Ramayana'.

But who is this Valmiki Maharshi?

According to great sources in Ramayana (from his great self by Valmiki) and the Bhagavata, (which was seen by KrishnaDwaipaayana maharshi or the Vyaasa Maharshi who wrote another greatest epic 'Jayam' or later known as 'The Mahabhaarata') portrays that Brahmaa who is the son of lord Vishnu when he decided the Genesis of life on earth as per the direction of his father, he created human beings who are called 'Manasa Putras' to begin life on the mortal world.

One among those sons was 'Prachetas', who was well versed in the Four Vedas, and the Vedaanta or the Upanishat. Prachetas had ten sons known as 'Praachetasaha', who he trained on the Vedas  and the Vedaanta and was a great sage at the ashram having several disciples.

One among the 'Praachetasaha' is our Valmiki maharshi who writes the great epic by the advice of Narada Brahmarshi and blessings of Brahma Deva.

Valmiki Maharshi being a great sage is being misrepresented by some who have written wrong stories without originally studying the great epic written by him.

Some mention that he was a hunter tribe and have build some embarrassing stories to let down the great sage. It is not that sect to which he belonged to, he is the grandson of lord Brahma, the creator of the universe.

I would like to call out to all intellectuals please read the original 'Ramayana' from our 'Praachetasa' or the 'Valmiki' maharshi and the 18 Puranas from 'Krishna Dwaipayana' or the 'Paarashara' (Son of sage Parashara) or the 'Vyaasa Maharshi' first before making a comment on this great sage who gave a great epic to the world.